A hydrogel scaffold is a localized drug delivery system that can maintain the therapeutic level of drug concentration at the tumor site. In this study, the biopolymer hydrogel scaffold encapsulating doxorubicin was fabricated from gelatin, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, and gelatin/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose mixture using a lyophilization technique. The effects of a crosslinker on scaffold morphology and pore size were determined using scanning electron microscopy. The encapsulation efficiency and the release profile of doxorubicin from the hydrogel scaffolds were determined using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The anti-proliferative effect of the scaffolds against the lung cancer cell line was investigated using an MTT assay. The results showed that scaffolds made from different types of natural polymer had different pore configurations and pore sizes. All scaffolds had high encapsulation efficiency and drug-controlled release profiles. The viability and proliferation of A549 cells, treated with gelatin, gelatin/SCMC, and SCMC scaffolds containing doxorubicin significantly decreased compared with control. These hydrogel scaffolds might provide a promising approach for developing a superior localized drug delivery system to kill lung cancer cells.

The first line therapy of patients with Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, is levodopa (L-dopa) given orally. Recently, the presence of natural L-dopa in the seed of Mucuna pruriens, a tropical legume in the Fabaceae family, was reported and it showed superior efficiency compared with synthetic L-dopa. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the phytochemical compounds, particularly for natural L-dopa, in M. pruriens seed extract and subsequently prepare a nanogel containing the extract prior to incorporation into a jelly formulation for use as a functional food in elderly patients with Parkinson’s disease. The results show that M. pruriens seed extract contains phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids, and saponins. The quantitative analysis performed by the HPLC method revealed that spray-dried M. pruriens seed extract contained 5.59 ± 0.21% L-dopa. M. pruriens seed extract possesses a ferric-reducing antioxidant power and shows free-radical scavenging activity, determined by DPPH and ABTS methods, suggesting a distinctive antioxidant ability of the extract. M. pruriens seed extract at 10 ng/mL did not show cytotoxicity against a neuronal cell line (SH-SY5Y cells), kidney cells (HEK293 cells), or Caco-2 cells. Nanogel of M. pruriens seed extract prepared by ionic gelation had the hydrodynamic diameter, polydispersity index and zeta potential value of 384.53 ± 11.24 nm, 0.38 ± 0.05, and −11.23 ± 1.15 mV, respectively. The transepithelial transport of L-dopa in M. pruriens seed-extract nanogel through Caco-2 cells was measured. Nanogel containing M. pruriens seed extract at the concentration of 10 ng/mL exhibited neuroprotective activity. A jelly formulation containing M. pruriens seed-extract nanogel was successfully developed. The prepared jelly exhibited the acceptable physical and microbiological stabilities upon 6 months of the stability test. The half-life of natural L-dopa in jelly were 3.2, 0.9, and 0.6 years for storage conditions at 4, 30, and 40 °C, respectively, indicating the thermal degradation of natural L-dopa. The prepared jelly containing natural L-dopa from M. pruriens seed extract with the prominent antioxidant activity is a promising option for elderly patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

The use of bioactive molecules derived from medicinal plants in wound healing has recently attracted considerable attention in both research and public interest. In this work, we demonstrated the first attempt to incorporate the extract from Thai red onion skins in hydrogel patches intended for transdermal delivery. The red onion skin extract (ROSE) was first prepared and evaluated for cytotoxicity by MTT assay with both L929 and human dermal fibroblast cells. Hydrogel patches with porous microstructure and high water content were fabricated from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) by electron beam irradiation and characterized for their physical, mechanical, morphological, and cytocompatible properties prior to the loading of ROSE. After decontamination by electron beam irradiation, the in vitro release profile exhibited the burst release of extract from ROSE-coated hydrogel patches within 5 h, followed by the sustained release up to 48 h. Finally, evaluation of skin permeation using Franz cell setup with a newborn pig skin model showed that the permeation of ROSE from the hydrogel patch increased with time and reached the maximum of 262 µg/cm², which was well below the cytotoxicity threshold, at 24 h. These results demonstrated that our ROSE-coated hydrogel patches could potentially be used in transdermal delivery.

Background/Objectives: Ya Pra Sa Kra Tung Pew Pai Nok is a traditional Thai medicinal formulation historically used for fever and inflammatory skin symptoms. This study characterized a lactose-containing vacuum-dried extract, evaluated its in vitro anti-inflammatory activity, and incorporated it into a topical spray formulation. Methods: The formulation comprised Brachypterum scandens (Roxb.) Miq., Tiliacora triandra (Colebr.) Diels., and Tamarindus indica L. in equal proportions. Genistein-7-O-[α-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)]-β-glucopyranoside (GTG) was selected as a chemical marker and quantified using a validated HPLC-DAD method. Results: The method showed good selectivity and linearity over 4–20 µg/mL, with intra- and inter-day precision RSD values of 4.04% and 3.43%, recoveries of 97.41–103.65%, and LOD and LOQ values of 0.15 and 0.49 µg/mL, respectively. CCK-8 analysis showed that both vacuum-dried extract preparations, with and without lactose, maintained RAW264.7 cell viability above 80% across all tested concentrations. At non-cytotoxic concentrations, the lactose-containing extract significantly reduced nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages, demonstrating in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the extract. A topical spray containing 5% w/w dried extract was selected and exhibited an initial pH of 4.43. After 6 months of storage at 4, 30, and 40 °C, the remaining GTG contents were approximately 99.1%, 92.9%, and 87.6%, respectively, indicating temperature-dependent degradation. No microbial contamination was detected during storage. Human closed-patch testing in 30 healthy volunteers yielded an MCII of 0.05, indicating negligible irritation under the tested conditions. Conclusions: These findings support further development of Ya Pra Sa Kra Tung Pew Pai Nok as a standardized topical herbal formulation.